Find a commercial auditable entity (a company, other organization, or part
of one). You may not use an organization which is not a for-profit entity.
You may not use a church, synagogue, mosque, nor other religious entity.
2. Define the auditable entity.
3. Describe the business model of the entire entity. How does the entity
receive resources? How does the entity earn a profit? Merely saying that
it sells something does not tell how it earns a profit; I could set up a
business selling dollar bills for five cents each, and I might sell a lot of
dollar bills, but I would not earn a profit from this business.
For example, if it is a for-profit business, how does it attract customers?
Are its customers buying staple goods, convenience goods, shopping
goods, or luxury goods? Explain why these are staple goods,
convenience goods, shopping goods, or luxury goods. You should have
learned these terms in your first marketing course. (If you were to audit
such a not-for-profit organization in the future, after graduation, does it
receive funds through contributions, member dues, contracts to provide
social services, etc.?)
4. If the auditable entity is less than the entire entity, how does the auditable
entity fit into the entire entity? If the auditable entity is the entire entity,
say so.
5. What is the particularized (not general) professional literature which an
auditor should be aware of, if applicable? Do not include the material in
the standards and related rules or general audit manual, but do include
particular FASB statements (SFAS’s), ASB statements, industry audit
guides available from the AICPA, applicable standards from the GASB,
regulatory accounting requirements, etc. which apply to this client. Two
good sources to use to check for such professional literature are the
AICPA (www.aicpa.org) and a related store (www.cpa2biz.com). Also
check any professional literature we have at this educational institution,
including in electronic form.
6. Track down and read the COSO (Council of Sponsoring Organizations)
document on risk. (Note to students: The Department of Accounting has
been successful during the past two to three years in obtaining a site
license to various authoritative professional literature. If we are able to do
so again this academic year, check to see whether the COSO literature is
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included.) Tell whether you read the document. Whether or not you
actually read the document, tell what you did to try to find the document.
7. What are the most important business risks to the client entity
associated with this entire entity and with this auditable entity? (Think of
business risks to the client entity as things which could go wrong, or other
things which could have a significant negative effect on the client’s
business.)
8. What are the most important business risks to the audit firm associated
with this entire entity and with this auditable entity? (Think of business
risks to the audit firm as things which could happen that would somehow
taint the reputation of the audit firm, even though the audit firm did its work
correctly and rendered the correct report.)
9. What are the most important audit risks associated with this entire entity
and with this auditable entity? If you were actually doing a financialstatement
audit of the entity, what would you do to assure that you could
gather sufficient appropriate audit evidence to formulate the proper
opinion on the financial statements of this entity? (Think of audit risks as
those things peculiar to the client and to the auditable entity which might
make the auditors think they had done a good job which supports an
unqualified opinion when in fact the opinion should be qualified,
disclaimed, or adverse.)
10. Prepare a report to be presented to the teacher, the class, and possibly to
some guests. Do not full justify your report; left justify, which leaves a
ragged right edge. The report should include at least:
a. Define the auditable entity.
b. Explain the type of entity (small retail store, stand-alone franchise
unit of a restaurant chain, hotel owned and operated by a chain,
manufacturer of pink left-handed widgets, etc.).
c. If the auditable entity is less than the entire entity, how does it fit
into the entire entity? What decisions does it make locally, and
what decisions are made at some upper level?
d. What is the particularized (not general) professional literature which
an auditor should be aware of, if applicable?